Space News Update - April 26, 2019 - In the News Departments Story 1: NASA’s InSight Lander Captures Audio of First Likely ‘Quake’ on Mars Story 2: Mystery of the Universe's Expansion Rate Widens with New Hubble Data Story 3: As Expected, the Newly Upgraded LIGO is Finding a Black Hole Merger Every Week Departments The Night Sky ISS Sighting Opportunities NASA-TV Highlights Space Calendar Food for Thought Space Image of the Week

NASA’s InSight Lander Captures Audio of First Likely ‘Quake’ on Mars NASA's InSight Prepares to Take Mars' Temperature In this computer graphic, NASA's Voyager 1 probe, moving toward upper left, nears the edge of the sun's influence, flying through a region of space dominated by a "magnetic highway" that helps mediate the flow of particles into and out of the solar system. The region includes particles from the sun's southern hemisphere that have been forced northward by the pressure of the interstellar wind. Voyager 1 is expected to cross the boundary into interstellar space sometime within the next few years if not sooner. (Credit: NASA)

Mystery of the Universe's Expansion Rate Widens with New Hubble Data

As Expected, the Newly Upgraded LIGO is Finding a Black Hole Merger Every Week

The Night Sky Sky & Telescope Friday, April 26 • Last-quarter Moon (exact at 6:18 p.m. EDT). The Moon rises very late tonight, around 3 a.m. daylight-saving time, in the center of the dim, boat-shape pattern of Capricornus. High above the Moon is Altair. The brightest "stars" far to the Moon's right or upper right are Saturn, then brighter Jupiter. Saturday, April 27 • As night descends, look high in the west for Pollux and Castor lined up almost horizontally (depending on your latitude). These two stars, the heads of the Gemini twins, form the top of the enormous Arch of Spring. To their lower left is Procyon, the left end of the Arch. Farther to their lower right is the other end, formed by Menkalinan (Beta Aurigae) and then brilliant Capella. The whole thing sinks lower through the evening. Modern skywatchers are not alone in seeing the Arch of Spring as one big asterism. Extend it down past Procyon to add Sirius, and you've got the Hawaiian Canoe-Bailer of Makali‘i. Sunday, April 28 • As the last of twilight fades out, the dim Little Dipper extends to the right from Polaris. High above the Little Dipper's bowl (marked by Kochab, Polaris's equal in brightness), you'll find the bowl of the Big Dipper. Monday, April 29 • Just after dark, the Sickle of Leo (image right) stands vertical high in the south. Its bottom star is Regulus, the brightest of Leo. In second place is yellow Algieba above it. Leo himself is walking horizontally westward. The Sickle forms his front leg, chest, mane, and part of his head. Denebola, about two and a half fists at arm's length left of Regulus, is his tail-tip. Sky & Telescope

ISS Sighting Opportunities ISS For Denver: Date Visible Max Height Appears Disappears Sun Apr 28, 5:07 AM 4 min 32° 10° above SSW 26° above E Mon Apr 29, 4:19 AM 3 min 17° 15° above SSE 10° above E Tue Apr 30, 5:03 AM 87° 19° above SW 38° above NE Sighting information for other cities can be found at NASA’s Satellite Sighting Information

NASA-TV Highlights No Special Programming (all times Eastern Time Zone) No Special Programming   Watch NASA TV online by going to the NASA website

Space Calendar JPL Space Calendar Apr 26 - Asteroid 263251 Pandabear Closest Approach To Earth (1.486 AU) Apr 26 - Amor Asteroid 4947 Ninkasi Closest Approach To Earth (2.144 AU) Apr 26 - Asteroid 1008 La Paz Closest Approach To Earth (2.327 AU) Apr 26 - Asteroid 99905 Jeffgrossman Closest Approach To Earth (2.684 AU) Apr 26 - Owen Richardson's 140th Birthday (1879) Apr 27 - Comet P/2019 G1 (PANSTARRS) Closest Approach To Earth (2.068 AU) Apr 27 - Aten Asteroid 2019 GF1 Near-Earth Flyby (0.012 AU) Apr 27 - Apollo Asteroid 3103 Eger Closest Approach To Earth (1.013 AU) Apr 27 - Asteroid 2614 Torrence Closest Approach To Earth (1.513 AU) Apr 27 - Asteroid 12426 Racquetball Closest Approach To Earth (1.526 AU) Apr 27 - Asteroid 5050 Doctorwatson Closest Approach To Earth (1.678 AU) Apr 27 - Asteroid 2636 Lassell Closest Approach To Earth (1.832 AU) Apr 27 - Patrick Wiggins' 70th Birthday (1949) Apr 27-30 - 156th National Academy of Sciences Annual Meeting, Washington DC Apr 28 - Comet P/2014 U4 (PANSTARRS) At Opposition (3.353 AU) Apr 28 - Apollo Asteroid 2019 GX5 Near-Earth Flyby (0.018 AU) Apr 28 - Asteroid 10958 Mont Blanc Closest Approach To Earth (1.125 AU) Apr 28 - Asteroid 8627 Kunalnayyar Closest Approach To Earth (1.607 AU) Apr 28 - Asteroid 3989 Odin Closest Approach To Earth (1.656 AU) Apr 28 - Asteroid 9619 Terrygilliam Closest Approach To Earth (1.694 AU) Apr 28 - Asteroid 19019 Sunflower Closest Approach To Earth (1.975 AU) Apr 28 - Asteroid 4999 MPC Closest Approach To Earth (1.997 AU) Apr 28 - Asteroid 6216 San Jose Closest Approach To Earth (2.006 AU) Apr 28 - Asteroid 11739 Baton Rouge Closest Approach To Earth (3.912 AU) Apr 28 - Francis Baily's 245th Birthday (1774) Apr 29 - Comet P/2017 S8 (PANSTARRS) At Opposition (2.314 AU) Apr 29 - Comet C/2016 X1 (Lemmon) Perihelion (7.564 AU) Apr 29 - Aten Asteroid 2008 GL20 Near-Earth Flyby (0.084 AU) Apr 29 - Asteroid 8952 ODAS Closest Approach To Earth (1.452 AU) Apr 29 - Asteroid 1940 Whipple Closest Approach To Earth (2.188 AU) Apr 29 - Asteroid 60186 Las Cruces Closest Approach To Earth (2.369 AU) Apr 29 - Jupiter Trojan 4709 Ennomos At Opposition (4.342 AU) Apr 29 - Kuiper Belt Object 42355 Typhon At Opposition (21.207 AU) JPL Space Calendar

A Look at the Science Ahead for Christina Koch and Andrew Morgan Food for Thought A Look at the Science Ahead for Christina Koch and Andrew Morgan

Space Image of the Week The Galaxy, the Jet, and the Black Hole  Image Credit: NASA, JPL-Caltech, Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration